Writing

Author of “A Season of Fire: Four Months on the Firelines in America’s Forests.” Published August 2003 by Tarcher/Penguin. Described by reviewers as “thoroughly engaging” and “fascinating,” this book detailed the West’s misguided war on forest fires.
Northwest correspondent for The Economist (London) since 1988. Dozens of articles for The Economist have appeared in the American, Science and Business sections and cover a wide range of national and regional issues.
Magazine credits include articles on science, medicine, architecture, technology, urban planning, environmental issues, business, travel and politics published in The Atlantic Monthly, Discover, Business 2.0, Foreign Policy, Audubon, Backpacker, Outside, Sierra, Architectural Record, Home Office Computing, Architectural Digest, Architecture, Popular Science, Sports Illustrated, Travel & Leisure, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
Wrote companion volume to Microsoft’s Office 2000 suite – “Smart Business Solutions in Direct Marketing and Customer Service.” Book published June 1999.
Extensive web-delivered articles on Microsoft technology and products written for the Microsoft.com web site (1999-present). Subjects include .NET technology, customer-relationship technology, mobile technology, and best-practices for small- and mid-sized businesses.
Consulted on web content development for Altrec.com (1999-2000). Hired and directed freelancers, developed submission criteria, edited finished articles on a wide range of outdoor activities.
Business reporter for The Journal-American (Bellevue, Wash.), 1986-87. Covered high-tech, retail and general business.
Reporter for The Columbian (Vancouver, Wash.) from 1978 to 1982. Covered architecture and science in addition to general feature writing and news reporting. Edited paper’s weekly out-county supplements.

Editing

Assistant city editor/wire editor for The Journal American. Work with reporters on local stories, develop wire news budgets, assist copy desk in production of newspaper (1992-94) using QuarkXpress pagination system.
Weekend city editor for The Journal American, responsible for story selection, editing and page makeup for Sunday and Monday newspapers (1991-1992).
Assistant editor for The Economist, London, June-December 1990. Wrote and edited stories for American Survey section of the magazine.
Copy editor and page designer for The Journal American features section (1983-90). Responsible for the design and production of seven feature sections each week. Special assignments included the re-design of the paper's weekend arts and entertainment section, and a re-design of the Journal American-owned Mercer Island Reporter.

Teaching

Faculty member of University of Washington Educational Outreach non-fiction writing program (1993-present). Course offerings include Introductory, Intermediate and Advanced non-fiction writing. Course topics include basic story formats for news and magazine stories, interviewing techniques, marketing and proposal-writing and advanced approaches to story themes and structure. Currently developing distance-learning curriculum.
Wrote text on nonfiction magazine writing for Web-based course offered by University of Washngton Educational Outreach, which subsequently won national award for excellence.
Instructor for classes in newsletter production and news reporting for the University of Washington Extension program (1988-89). Graphics instructor at Bellevue Community College. Journalism instructor for Portland Community College (academic and extension; 1982-83).
Speaker on writing for such corporate clients as the Credit Union National Association, ITT/Rayonier, the Public Relations Society of America and Women in Communications.

EDUCATION:

Graduate of the University of Washington; B.A. in Communications (1976)
Studied urban design and graphic design at Portland State University and the Portland Art Museum art school.
Course & foreign language work completed for Master’s degree in architecture history from the University of Washington (1987-90).

AWARDS:

Ellen B. Scripps Fellowship recipient (1987-90).
Third place (SPJ) for consumer affairs reporting for article on competition in medicine (1986).
Member of Journal-American feature staff that placed third in the national Penney-Missouri awards in 1984.
First place, Society of Professional Journalists’ (SPJ) Excellence in Journalism Competition in 1981 and 1982 for articles on underground homes and Portland architecture.
Work included in Fifth Edition and Sixth Edition, the 1984 and 1985 award annuals of the Society of Newspaper Designers.
Third place (SPJ) for magazine article on the Portland Building (1983).
First place in magazine-writing category of the Washington Press Association contest (1983).